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Outgoing Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney believes
Ian Watmore’s surprise resignation as Football Association chief executive proves there are structural problems within the governing body.

Watmore stepped down from a post he had held for less than a year after growing frustrated that his proposals for change were being blocked. The FA will now search for a seventh chief executive in 10 years after naming Alex Horne to act in the role following an emergency board meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

Lord Brian Mawhinney

“There is no doubt that there is a structural problem, not least in the relationship between the FA on one hand and the two professional leagues on the other,” the 69-year-old told Sky News.

“There may well be personality issues as well, but there is a structural problem.

“I suspect that what we are hearing is an implicit recognition that structural problems still exist.”

FA chairman Lord Triesman denied reports Watmore had left because of a personality clash and claimed there is stability at Wembley.

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Mawhinney is not convinced, however, and added: “The FA board issued a statement tonight which says there wasn’t a problem with the professional game, that there really wasn’t a problem with any individual, that there isn’t a problem that they can’t solve and we don’t need government to solve.